Metallic electric welder.



W. H. DRALLE.

METALLIC ELECTRIC WELDER,

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1914.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

lI/z (Ham j/Dra (Zc /4 UUR/MVS En sTATEsPATE oFFIoE.

WILLIAM HLDBALLE, oF SCBENECTA'DS?, NEW Yom;

marianne WELDER..

. appaiano aieanly 25, 1914.

To all whom t may cancer/L:

Be 1t known that I, lVILLLaM H. DHALLE, a citizen ofthe United States,and a resident of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and; Stateof New York, have invented a new and improved Metallic Electric Welder,of `which the following isa full,

clear, and exact description. This invention relates to the art ofelectrl welding, wherein the active electrode is a metal rod or wirewhich is so held that one l extremity becomes theone element of theVwelding arc while the other element is the work tobe welded.

The general object of the present inveii? tion is Athe provision of anelectricwe'lder' which embodies means whereby the active electrode bybeing placed into contact wit the work completes a circuit for the flowof current and thereby a solenoid is energized which draws the activeelectrode far enough out of contact with the work so as to spring thewelding arc, which arc vaporizes the electrode and causes the materiaLtobe deposited on the Work to form a weldor joint. After the arc is thuscreated the operator gradually feeds the electrode as it is consumedduring the process o f completing the results above set forth, such toolcomprising a current coil in circuit with the electrode in either vvlegof the circuit so that the welding current will How throughthecoilbwhichhas a core connected with the electrode holder so as to remove theelectrode away from the work `tar enough to develop the welding arc.Cooperating with the current or solenoid winding is a spring which tendsto move the core and electrode toward the work so as to maintain thevarc gap constant during'the process of welding, but when the limit ofmovement of. the.A core is reached by the spring and the electrode isnot manually fed at the desired rate, the arc will become extinguished,so that it will be necessary for the operator to again the electrodeinto `Contact with the work.

Still another object of the invention is the vprovision of a weldingtoolwhich embodies Spechcation of Letters Patent.

claims appended hereto.

sriai No. 853,082.

a rest that is adapted to engagethe work so asto hold the tool steadywith respect tothe point to be welded,*said restl or work-engaging meansbeing interchangeable for adaptingl the tool for different kinds of;work; and furthermore, the electrode holder is ad` justable for the samepurpose. V

-.With such objects in view, and others which will appear as thedescription'proceeds', the invention comprises various novel features ofconstruction -and arrangement Patented neme, 1915.

of' parts which Vwill be set forthwith par" ticularity in thefo'llowngdescription and In the accompany'ing drawing which illus`- and whereinsimilar characters of:reference indicate' corresponding parts in allthejview's, Figure 1 is a side view ofthew'elder lwith portions insection; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with a part of the handleinsection to show the switch for throwing on or off the current; Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the work-engaging'end of the tool with one of thework-engag'i-ngdevices or rests removed; and Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon the vline 4-` 4, Fig; 1 through the electrodeA clamp. .y

ln the present instance thetool'is shown :is adapted for use inelectrically, weldingv joints between boiler tubes and theV flue sheets,but it is to be understood that` it. can

be 'used for other purposes?4 Referring to the drawing, A designates;

the base of the tool which is a body of suitable insulation. One end ofthis base piece may be formed conveniently into a handle trates oneembodiment-of .the invention,"

1, while the opposite end is`provided with a rod 2 which is adapted tohave work-engaging means applied 4to the extremity thereof. Thework-engaging means in the present instance is shown as a disk 3','which is a non-conductor and is so shaped as to f it Within a boilertube 4, so. as to hold'the 0perative portion of the tool steady with rei spect to the work. On the base A is a frame or other support 5which'carries a spool 6 of insulation, there being on the spoo'l'a coil'Z of edgewise-w'ound conducting material of Y suitable cross-sectionalarea to carry the welding current. Passing through the boiel 8 of thespool is a fixed tube 9 that con tains a slidable corelOwhi'ch respondsto the magnetism produced by the current flowing through the ,solenoidcoil 7.' Between the end A 11 of lthe tube shoulder washer the electrodeof the Y switch, so thatwhen 12 f the" core is a spring'l which 'urges Athe core in the direction of` the Work. The tensionof the spring can beadjusted by means of a nut -or equivalent device 14 on the stem'portion15 of the core which extends out-of thetube 9. The movement of `thecore'against'the te' on of the spring 13 is limited by a shoulder 16,such shoulf dered end of the core being provided with anupwardlyextending arm 17l that carries a holder 18 for the electrode19.4 holde'l` is'shown in the form links 20-and 21 which are hmgedlyconnectedftogether by'a b olt- 23 which has 'a ber .20-of theelecwing-nut 23.. The mem .trede vholder` is hingedly connected to thewhich'hasa win A-nut V25, .there being a 'spring washer'26, as ys own inFig. 2, so as tofmai'ntain aiirmclamping action.'l The-blt'23'f also has*,aspring .27 which. affords' i solenoidv coil '7 with. the `electrodeholder, the connecting element 28 being flexible, as

mg the-angular relationl'of thexnembers 20 and-21 with respect .to eachother and the relation o f. the member.20 with respect to the post` 17,according to the desiredposi` tion of the electrode. The electrodeholder includes a clamp constructed as shown in Fig. 4f, such clampconsisting of a belt 30 which vis provided with a head 31 thatcooperates with a clamping disk or Washer 32 arranged on the squaredshank of the bolt,

the said head 31 and vided lwith grooves faces so as to receive on theshank of the through' an opening 34 the electrode holder is a wing nut35.

The handle of theitoolis provided with a Chamber 36 :which contains a.Switch for throwing on or off the current. This switch washer 32 beingpro- 33 in their opposed the' electrode 19, and

comprises a hinge post'or member 37,1150

which is pivotally connected the ,blade 38 switch that 1s moved into andout of nected by a "cablelO outfit or regulating means.' The blade has aknob 41 or equivalentfmeans which extends out of the slot 42 in thehandle, so that the operator can conveniently open and close the switch.The .coilf has its terminal. 7 connected with the member 3'( of the i4the switchis closed current will pass throu h the coil. When the toolis used for weldin the joints ofsuperheater tubes, e larger dis 3 isarray d'P'n-the end ofthe rodor'ibar l2 as the. fsk 1s provided witha`.slot.3 to receive' such rodj. ".Qbuiously'-other workmeans. may beapplied to the bar holder is adjustableby changlseparated far enough tospring-the'welding" bolt vwhich extends*- in the member 21 of comprisinga supporting engaging disk carried thereby and adapted'- as shown inFig. 1, and .theelectrode 19 7o 1s engaged with the tube sheet 4 tocem-V V'plete the electric circuit, it 'being under- Vstood `thatthe-boiler isv connected YAYwith the one side of. the` .circuit.This'causes current to f iqw through 'the coilfz of thetqol, therebbecomes energized and yactuates Vvthe c're infadrection' to'sep rate theelectrode. 19 frfoxngthel tube sheet 4*.5 A-arcjis thus-providedfandfthe weldin' jactfi'on lbegins. TheY operator.v 'nowF-graiially' turns the tool s'ogthat the electrode travel Yaround the jointVbetweenzthei; andv tube sheet', and as this-turning proceeds, the toolis fed forwardly just-nefastas the electrode is consumed. If, however,the forward feed is not at the proper rate, the current through thesolenoid'will bev-diminished by reasonfbf the widened arc gap,` and'consequently fthe spring 19. willeeine' into action to feed ftheelectrode forwardlyv with' aA 'tendency to maintain the arc-constant.If,- h weve13--.theL feed is not properlymaintained 'the will reach thelimit of its action and 'th'e will become extinguished@ It'l is nownece=sary for the operator to feed .the tool '-f'orwardly far enough to'enggethe electrode 19 with the work, whereby the solenoid again broughtinto action andlthe electrode.

arc. If desired, the parts thatjcarry" the current,- such as the coil7^. and electrode holder, may be in'closed in a casing as a. `protection. The tool is so designed`that` the tubes close to the walls ofaIre-box and crown sheet can'be welded with facility. u 105 F romA theforegoing description taken -in connection with .the accompanyingdrawing,

construction andthe advantages," of the be' readily undermethod ofoperation will stood by those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains, and while I have described the -apparatus which I nowconsider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstoodthatthe apparatus shown .is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby'Letters.. Patent: I

1. A metallic electric Welder-for Awelding tubes in apertures of platesandthe 'like, structure, fworkQ-t' to enter a tube to be welded,"whereby thens Welder canv be turned about the onter'ff the disk as anaxis, an .electrodeholden on the supporting structure insulated from thes ald disk,g a metallic electrodemounted in the holder "and eccentric tothe axis :.but 13 Which the Welder turns, whereby-a circular Weldcan beproduced by the electrode upon the turning of the Welder inrelation'to'the work, andi-means .for supplying current throughtheelectrode.l v.

'2. 151`n'1etallice1 trode Welder comprising arc, and 4aspring acting onthe corefor moving* the -electrode toward the Work.

3. 'A metallic electric Welder comprising a supportinggstructure havinga handle, Work-engaging means on the said structure,

a solenoid on thestructure, a switch on the structurek for connectingthe solenoid, and an electrodeholder carried bythe coreof the solenoid,whereby the holder is retracted to move the' electrode out of engagementwith the'work upon the initial flow of current through the Welder,Wherebywthe Welding arc is produced.

4.'A hand tool for electric welding, comprising, a supporting structure,an insulating Workengaging means on the structure, a metallic fusibleelectrode, an electro-mechanical device. carrying the electrode yandconnecting thesame with asource of -current, said .device Aconsistingofy means for automatically retracting the electrode out of kcontactywith the work for springinga Welding arc, and means for automaticallyfeeding the electrode toward the Work as the electrode is consumed. n li 5. An electric Welder for making circular weldsA- comprising asupporting structure, a Work-engaging guide carried by the structure andinsulated therefrom' to serve as a pivot around which the Welder isturned, a. metallic electrode, and a holder for theelectrode mounted onthe structure and adjustable to shiftthe electrode toward or from theaxis around which the Welder turnsin making a circular weld, incombination with a ycircuit connected with the work and with theelectrode.

6. A metallic electrode Welder compris ing a supporting structure,work-engaging means thereon" and made of insulation, an electrode holderon the said structure having a limited movement toward and from thework, a fusible metallic electrode, electrical means traversed by theWelding current for automatically moving the holder from the work toproduce the Welding arc, and means for yautomatically moving the holdertoward the work when the rate of feed of the electrode is less than thatre- `qu'red to maintain' the arc 'gap constant.

n testimony whereof I have signed my name lto .this specication in thepresence of two subscribin avitnesses. v

' `lVILLIAM H. DRALLE.

lVitnesses n ANDREW T. G. WEMPLE, xJOHN H. PETERS.

